Police: Teen charged in Va. after case worker finds ‘booby traps’

WASHINGTON – Police arrested a 16-year-old after he barricaded himself in a Prince William County residence and allegedly set up “booby traps” discovered by a case worker who came to take him from the home, according to officials.

A 59-year-old case worker with the Wythe County Department of Social Services told police she went to a home in the 15100 block of Doe Ridge Road in Haymarket, Va., Saturday morning to remove a 16-year-old from foster care.

A tripwire and several nails reportedly had been set up leading to the home. The nails were placed so that they were pointed upward, and police say one punctured the woman’s shoe, but did not penetrate the skin.

Police say the teen barricaded himself in the basement level bedroom and refused to come out. The department’s SWAT team and police responded and, after several hours of attempting to make contact, he finally surrendered at about 7:30 p.m.

Prince William County police arrested the juvenile, whose name has not been released. He was charged with attempted malicious wounding and was being held at the county’s juvenile detention center.